Creature special effects for films have been around almost as long as films themselves and have evolved constantly with new technology and materials. Believable special effects pull the audience into the story by making the impossible seem possible in the mind of the audience. We have all become very aware of the use of computer generated animation in recent years and many of you may be of the opinion that much if not all of what you see on screen today is the product of a computer workstation. That is far from the case. Computer graphics like other forms of special effects lack a key element which many directors require to tell their story properly, the ability to interact on set with live actors. Most directors use computer generated special effects for wide shots but often opt to use some type of physical on set effects for close-up shots, shots that convey subtle character expressions and shots which require live interaction with actors. Stampede Entertainment's own S.S. Wilson opted for computer generated wide shots of the Shriekers in Tremors 2: Aftershocks but used complex cable operated puppets when filming with the actors on set. It is that blend of different techniques that brings believability to the character. This web site is dedicated to introducing you to the world of on-set special effects.

The various effects techniques for creating movie monsters: cartoon (cel) animation, dimensional (stop motion) animation, and computer animation, all have the same drawback when the script calls for live human interaction with the animated character: The character cannot physically be on set during filming. The actor must "react" to nothing and it's a challenge for both actor and director to achieve the illusion of interaction between the two elements.

Furthermore, many directors want something on the set they can relate to, something they can see. When director Matthew Robbins spoke with S. S. Wilson about his work on Dragonslayer, (where the dragon was largely created via a motion controlled miniature puppet) he explained that he insisted on constructing a full scale dragon head and other parts to use on the set. As much as possible, he wanted a dragon he could walk over to and say, "No, do it this way."

So, many modern films still use some form of human-controlled creation for close-ups or for shots requiring interaction with live characters. ADI is a pre-eminent force in this special area.